Flood Victims
One after-effect of flooding that may be not generally noticed is that it utterly destroys the whole population of worms, those potent agents in fertilising and " sub-soiling." In some places this absence alters the vegetation. There are, for example, some dips in grass fields under-laid by clay that are covered with quite different species of grass from the rest of the field. It was found in reclaiming land from the sea (though here, of course, salt has to be reckoned with) that normal growth was not restored till the worms had found their way to the place. They populate or repopulate with astonishing promptitude (as green-keepers on golf courses know to their cost), but it might very well be wise in eertain circumstances to import colonies. An enterprising company in the United States tried to exploit the worm by selling the castings, alleged to have a mystic effect on fertility. On a lawn or green they actually kill grass if crushed by a roller and do not make a favourable surface for fresh growth. All lawn-keepers should brush the worm-casts, and it is worth- while procuring long canes, such as are commonly used by green-keepers for this special purpose. So treated, they serve as a valuable top-dressing.
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